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Techtite's TV Reviews! |
"...[A] show that, to be frank, needs to practice what it preaches." ---from the review
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True Beauty
Imagine a beauty show produced by Ashton Kutcher. Yeah, I know; you just know with Kutcher involved, someone is going to get "Punk'd," right? Well, here's where things get interesting; this is a beauty show where "true beauty" is important, or rather: the beauty from within. It sounds a bit too philosophical to take seriously, though it is an intriguing idea. The premise is as simple (and inspired) as it sounds. Ten models must compete in a beauty contest. The prize is 100 grand and a place in People Weekly's next "50 most beautiful people" issue. On the surface, everything looks legit, with competitions resembling actual photo shoots. Yet along the way these models are secretly "tested" for their inner beauty. One makeup artist starts crying about her ex boyfriend; does someone come to comfort her? One photo op is with a gang of high school kids; will the models hang out with the "cool" kids, or try to cheer up the shy boy sitting all by himself? Each episode has two people up for elimination, where one "final test" helps a trio of judges choose who leaves, based on..."true" beauty! Here's one example. The models must buy clothes for a modeling session using only the cash they've been given. The trick is that the given cash cannot buy jack squat, so they must either improvise by making friends with various clothing stores (as in: Hi, give me your best clothes and I'll model them on national TV, for free, then return them), or show humility and buy what they can, and confidently walk the runway in <gasp!> non-designer clothes. They get bonus points by giving away the petty cash in that charity jar on the street (awwww!). The people who unknowingly pass the test survive for one more week. The two people who "performed" the worst get sent to fashion hall, where one will go home. How do they choose who goes home? Well, the "inner beauty" test isn't done yet. On the way into the fashion hall, something happens as one final test. An intern, for example, has two hands holding cups of hot coffee; does the model open the door for him? On another show, a child is crying on the street; does the model stop to help the child? It sounds like a perfect setup for the perfect elimination: some cad does the unthinkable and doesn't do something nice, and they go home, right? Not so fast. See; here's where this premise gets its first hurdle. Only a real creep wouldn't stop to help a crying child, so more often than not, the "final test" is worthless in deciding who goes. Furthermore; many of the tests in the main show aren't much better. One model is eliminated simply because she told an interviewer that she should be chosen over some other guy who thinks she's cute. Is the fact that she doesn't want to become the male model's welcome mat a true test of "inner beauty"...? No, of course not. Too bad the judges think differently.
Mind you, I have nothing personally against this series' judges. I like Vanessa Minnillo, as well as her two "partners in crime" for this faux beauty show: "the world's first supermodel" Cheryl Tiegs, and fashion expert Nolé Marin. I just don't see how this trio can call themselves the definitive judges of "inner beauty." There's just too much of a risk of personal opinion getting in the way, making many of the contestants receive one too many "free passes." While one male model in particular is referred even in the finale as rather arrogant (so how did he make it this far?), another female model could not get away with burping. No; seriously. You would think this show could come up with reasons to eliminate a contestant aside from "Gee check out that hot boy," and "Omigosh that girl belched so let's boot her!" It's in such eliminations that the show becomes not just a pale shadow of what it's supposed to be; it becomes slightly hypocritical. One female model sees her behavior on camera and cries; do the judges comfort her? Nope; they're too busy drilling home the show's natty message: true beauty is from within and you ain't a true beauty, Looo-serrr! How sympathetic and "truly beautiful" of you. Except...not. Another eliminated model is so calm about her elimination; she laughs at how funny she looks on camera. This upset the lady judges, with Cheryl insisting this is a show that should be taken seriously. Sorry, Cheryl; that ship sailed when you eliminated a model for burping. One might even presume the judges were annoyed a contestant left with a laugh and not a cry. So much for inner beauty. Cry, "bad" people! Cry! Spoilers notwithstanding: I think they really hit the nail on the head in the end, and chose the best example of "true beauty" possible. Yet overall this was an amusing premise that didn't pan out. Seeing people cry ---even allegedly "bad" people--- well, if I was entertained by that, why would I care if they were "bad" or not? I'd hardly be a good person myself. So much for who's truly pretty. At best, this show was pretty flawed.
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Burnout
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Impact
Perhaps
the judge format is the core problem. Who, if anyone, can judge someone's "inner beauty"?
The answer is ironic, when you think about it: as soon
as someone says they can judge inner beauty, that
alone should tell you they cannot. It's one
thing to eliminate someone because they didn't help a crying makeup
artist. It's another thing to eliminate someone because they didn't pick up a
dirty plastic bottle on the street and put it in
the recycle container. What about the female model who gets eliminated for no other
reason than the fact that the series' hosts think that the arrogant jerk
she's up against is in fact, a total hottie? So much for a test for
"inner" beauty. This is just another beauty show. Harrumph.